Magnetic Road Sweepers are the Right Tool for Emergency Access

By David B.

TYMCO, Inc. is a manufacturer of TYMCO Regenerative Air Street Sweepers located in Waco, Texas, about 19 miles south of West, Texas. When a fertilizer plant exploded on April 17, 2013, TYMCO volunteered to bring their expertise, equipment and the needed sense of urgency to get the job done right and quickly.

“The situation was that emergency vehicles were having difficulty gaining access to the necessary areas because of all the debris scattered across the roads,” said Gary Young, Vice President, Engineering for TYMCO. “The first priority in our cleanup role was to clear the roads of all hazardous debris. We have a large selection of road cleanup equipment to handle any size task. We chose to go with the Master Magnetics Magnet Source® 84” and 96” Hanging Magnetic Sweepers because of the need for speed and simplicity. We did not have time to install our larger electrically actuated magnetic sweepers, so we chose to hang these off our big International Trucks and go,” Young explained.

“Our initial process was to have three to four people walking along with our street sweeper trucks, tossing large-size debris into the street sweeper, and periodically clearing off magnetic sweeper. The magnetic sweeper protected our trucks’ tires so we could proceed with cleaning up the rest of the debris,” Young added.

Hanging magnetic road sweepers are available in widths from 18 to 96 inches from Master Magnetics. The Magnet Source sweeper product line also includes push-type magnetic sweepers and trailer-type magnetic sweepers. These magnetic road sweepers are super-powered, permanent magnets for the removal of sharp iron objects from roads, parking areas, loading docks, runways, and other important traffic areas. Hang-type magnetic sweepers greatly reduce the possibility of costly flat tires and injuries caused by nails, scrap iron particles, staples, etc. Two eyebolts are installed on each magnet for suspending from vehicles.

Simply hang a magnetic sweeper from your forklift or vehicle bumper and “sweep” all contaminated areas. The sweeper hangs approximately two to four inches off the ground, and the maximum operating speed is five mph. To clear collected debris, wipe the face of the magnet with a glove or heavy shop towel. There are also magnetic sweeper models available with quick-release handles for the easiest removal of collected debris.